Just in Time
by NubianGeek
Summary: Passepartout falls in love with a girl from the future


I wrote this story before the series started and after I had read the book Around the World in 80 Days. The reason that Passepartout doesn't talk like he does in the series is due to that fact.  
JUST IN TIME  
Donna M. Light(catcat) alias NubianGeek  
Dlight@worshipper.com  
Category: Romance/Time Travel Rated: PG  
As Anna appeared in the English countryside, she couldn't help doing so with her eyes closed. She had no idea who, or what would be around her when she finally materialized. She had dialed to the year 1862 in England. She was in search of the author Jules Verne. She didn't know why, she just thought that it would be neat. "Neat. I can't use the word neat around Mr. Verne. He'll think that I'm tidy." Anna also figured that if anyone would believe her tale, Jules Verne would. "Oh well, I 'd better get started..." and she started off walking in the direction she assumed London was. Anna was not from this time period. How she came to be here was due, in part to her inventor father as well as her insatiable curiosity. Anna's father, William Cassidy was looking for an alternative means of transportation. For years the world's resources had been on the decline and scientists were looking for other forms of power. William Cassidy's invention was called the Portal. With the Portal, it was possible to dial up a destination, let's say across town, which would appear within the portal. All one would have to do is walk right through and they would be at their destination. Of course, this would have been quite a blow to the other forms of transportation and Cassidy was met with a lot of opposition. William's son,(Anna's brother) Robert was also trying to wheel and deal and sell his father's invention to the highest bidder. Then there was the mysterious fire her father's lab which killed Cassidy. Two weeks earlier, Cassidy gave Anna a necklace that he said belonged to Anna's mother. Anna didn't think anything of it. She also received all of her father's notes which really infuriated her brother.  
"Come on Anna. What are you going to do with all of this. You don't understand it." It was true. She didn't understand any of it .  
"I don't want to sell it. It would be like selling Dad. Robert continued to try to persuade her to change her mind. He even invited her to the refurbished lab to show her how the Portal worked. Anna and Robert had never been close as children, so Anna thought that this was Robert's attempt to get close after their father died.  
It was this, that sent Anna on her first adventure. As she stepped through the Portal,   
she did not come out from the other Portal across the room. In fact, she disappeared. What   
happened next is another story. This time armed with her father's notes, she decided to go to someone who could help her understand the notes better.   
By this time, Anna had reached the outskirts of London. She took a moment to breathe in the sights and sounds of London. She was here. A smile spread across her face as she forged ahead.  
She had planned to go and ask where she might find Jules Verne. She had even thought that she might have to go to Paris, but as luck would have it, she wouldn't have to.  
"My Master ordered these shirts to be ready today, September 12th. They are supposed to be ready!" Passepartout's voice was getting increasingly louder. Whenever he was in a situation, such as this, he would try to envision what his master would do. Phileas Fogg was calm with an underlying intensity. No matter how Passepartout tried, he could not imitate his master's demeanor.  
The clerk was now asking the name of his master.  
"My master is Phileas Fogg. Monsieur Fogg will be very upset if I do not return with his shirts!"  
When Anna heard this, she became immediately interested and turned to find the manservant of Phileas Fogg.  
She remembered the drawn pictures from the book and tried to compare it to the man before her. His hair was curly, the book had said that it was disheveled and unruly. (What is ruly and sheveled?) She had known guys with similar hair. To comb it, they simply ran their fingers through it. (Running my fingers through it. Hmmm.) He had a very strong lower jaw and chin which was covered with a gotee which reminded her of the Beatniks. Very French. He had a very muscular build which Anna knew from the book, was due to his gymnastic past. The two things Anna tried hard not to look at were his eyes and his mouth. His eyes were very expressive in a Charlie Chaplin kind of way. His lips were very sensual - very kissable, she began to think. Her mind began to wander, but she caught it before it wandered too far.   
By this time, the incident had been resolved. The clerk had now found the missing shirts and things had calmed down.   
"Excuse me, Mr. Passepartout...." Up until now nothing has been said about Anna's attire. Because she was in a great hurry, she didn't have time to put together an authentic 19th century outfit. She was wearing a flowered dress from her time period with no hoops or bustle, and a long black cloak which she hoped covered most of her. She also wore close to authentic shoes that had come back into style in her time period. She had put her hair up in a style that she hoped was close to the time period. She might pass for a charwoman or peasant.   
"Yes, may I help you?' She could tell that he was looking at her strangely as were the rest of the people in the shop.   
"I heard you say that you are Phileas Fog's manservant. Might you know Mr. Jules Verne as well?"  
She was trying to speak the way she thought 19th century people might speak.  
"Monsieur Verne will be staying will Monsieur Fogg. He will be arriving tonight. Did you want to see him, Mademoiselle?" Passepartout tried to imagine why she wanted to see Jules. She didn't seem to by his age - perhaps a little older. HMO.  
"Yes, I must see him - all of you." This last part shook Passepartout. As if she knew what he had been thinking.  
Anna smiled broadly, she couldn't believe her luck. She hadn't realized that Phileas Fogg and Passepartout were real people. People in Anna's time thought of Phileas Fogg and Passepartout as merely literary characters. Imagine the surprise she felt with Passepartout standing here with her and the possibility of meeting Phileas Fogg shortly!  
Passepartout was eyeing her carefully. He wondered where she was from. She seemed to be seeing London for he first time. Her smile and her eyes were incredible. He didn't know what it was about her, but something was different. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her, which is very rude for a man, especially a servant, to do in 19th century England. She liked the way he looked at her. Guys back home don't look at me like this. She smiled with the though that she held some kind of power over him.  
"How about a flower for your lovely wife, guvnor?" Passepartout was pulled out of his reverie, but was embarrassed to the point of speechlessness.  
"Thank you." Anna said and then winked at Passepartout. All he could do was pay the woman and move on down the street. How would he explain the missing money to Monsieur Fogg?  
As they were walking, Anna took Passepartout's arm and smiled as they strolled down Saville Road. Passepartout, recovering from his speechlessness, chatted about different things as they walked along. They did look like a loving couple taking a little stroll on a sunny afternoon.   
Was she flirting with him? Possibly, but he didn't have time to contemplate it, because they were nearing No. 7 Saville Road in Burlington Gardens. Anna knew the address like she knew her own and smiled even wider when they approached. As they entered the residence, they were met by its' owner, Phileas Fogg.  
"Ah, Passepartout, who is this lovely creature you have with you?" he reached for Anna's hand and kissed it. Passepartout felt a twinge of jealousy. Phileas led her into the drawing room and asked her to sit down.  
"Now, who may I ask , are you?" Phileas continued to drip with charm which was not lost on Anna.   
"She is looking for Master Verne...." Passepartout tried to imply that she was WITH Master Verne which annoyed Fogg.   
"Passepartout, please bring us some tea." It was not a request; it was an order. Fogg was letting Passepartout know that he was the servant. Passepartout was very angry and he didn't know why. Somewhere or another, he had gotten the idea that she belonged to him.   
"As if she were a stray or something. 'Master, can I keep her?'" he joked. He laughed it off and went to prepare the tea.  
"Now may I ask who you are?" Phileas asked for the second time.  
"My name is Anna Cassidy. What I'm going to tell you, you're not going to believe."  
There was a small smirk on Fogg's face as he remembered all of the adventures they had been on that would classify as 'unbelievable'.  
"That's alright, Miss Cassidy. Please go on." She cleared her throat and went on.  
"I'm not from this time period. I'm from the year 2000." She waited a bit to see if this would sink in. By this time, Passepartout had returned and heard what she had said. He almost dropped the tray that he was carrying and his mouth hung open.  
"My father was an inventor. He was working on a traveling device and ended up make a time traveling device."  
She went on to explain the whole story and ended with her decision to come to see Jules Verne. They were listening intently and it was hard for her to tell if they believed her or not. When she finished, it took a minute or two before anyone could speak. Finally, Phileas said, "Well, that's quite a story." That was an understatement.   
"You don't believe me do you? Well, I have my father's notes here if you can make anything out of them?"  
She fished into her huge bag that reminded one of Mary Poppins. Fogg went over to sit next to her on the sofa to get a better look at he papers. Passepartout felt himself getting jealous again.  
Fogg studied the notes carefully. Passepartout was stealing glances at Anna with a very stern look on his face. Anna smiled and his stern face melted away. Fogg looked up.  
"Did you work with your father on this?"  
"No, I don't understand any of it. I'm a teacher. That's why I came to Mr. Verne for help."  
"Well, as you can imagine, a lot of it I do not understand. Verne will be here shortly, maybe he will understand a little more. What I don't understand is why you traveled through time and your brother didn't?" She held up the necklace.  
"Well, I think that it has something to do with this. My father gave it to me two weeks before the mysterious fire that killed him. He said that it was from my mother, but I don't ever remember her having it. My brother got someone to help him make a necklace like this one, and he followed me to the future. He wanted to take my necklace so that no one would be able to follow him. He wants to use the necklace for evil. She held her head down in shame when she said this.   
"Hmm. there are some interesting metals here. I guess mixed with other materials might produce some effect." He continued looking at he necklace and was lost in thought. Finally he said, "While we are waiting for Verne, Passepartout will you fix some dinner for our lovely guest?"  
"Yes, master." Passepartout replied through clinched teeth.  
"Will you excuse me, I need to see to some business that should only take a moment."  
She was left alone in the large room and began to feel a little uneasy. She was not a brave traveler, but had been forced to be. She had encountered situations that most women her age dared to dream of, and she was still chicken in heart. So, she decided to get up and wander out to the kitchen where Passepartout was. Passepartout was cutting vegetables and mumbling something under his breath. He looked very upset.  
"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt you?" Instantly the frown lifted as clouds from the sun and a smile broke out on the Frenchman's face.  
"No, of course not. Please... come in." That afternoon they had spoken so easily together and now things seemed a little awkward. Anna cleared her throat and began to speak.  
"I told you and Mr. Fogg that I had read about the two of you in Mr. Verne's books, there were some things that I wanted to ask you , if that's okay?" She knew that she was going to ask some pretty personal questions, but she felt as if it was for literary purposes and he would understand.  
"I had often wondered about Passepartout's past. Have you been married before?" He came over to the table and sat down. It was something to do until his mouth decided to function.  
"No, I've never been married, but I was rather wild in my younger days." He attempted to make a joke, but then he wished he hadn't. It made him sound like a wolf. That was the last thing that he wanted her to think of him  
"Have you ever been in love?" She hadn't meant to ask that question. That was way too personal. Passepartout didn't know what to think. On the one hand it was just natural curiosity about a character in a book, but on the other hand..... He got up and began to pace the room careful to avoid looking at her.  
"I had thought that I was in love - several times, but love is about sacrifice and placing someone else' needs before your own. I was very selfish when I was younger. I would say that I have changed." By this time he had made the mistake of looking at her, and once he did, he couldn't tear his eyes away. If it weren't for Fogg coming into the room at that exact moment, who knows what might have happened.  
"Ah, here you are. Verne and my cousin Rebecca have just arrived. How is dinner coming Passepartout?" Fogg knew that his servant had be slacking in his duties to entertain the young lady.  
While they waited for Passepartout to actual fix the dinner, Introductions were made and Anna's story was retold. Jules was so anxious and excited that he skipped dinner in order to read Anna's father's notes. By the time Anna had finished her dinner and was drinking her coffee, Jules was finished reading her father's notes. Anna was eyeing him - and everyone very carefully. She was wondering if they believed her, or if they were just humoring her.  
"Well... She began. When Jules didn't answer right away, she began dumping things out of her Mary Poppins bag.  
"I knew you wouldn't believe me. Well, maybe this will help."  
There was a small pouch that contained her asthma inhaler, a Polaroid picture of her last years class at school, and a first-aid kit in case she received any scrapes on her travels. The rest of the bag was filled with clothes - year 2000 clothes. She began holding up these various items. It became a little embarrassing when she held up her nightgown and quickly shoved it back into the bag.  
"Now what do you say?" The three men were still thinking about the nightgown while Rebecca just rolled her eyes. Finally Jules asked, "How do you know so much about us.?"  
"Well, Mr. Verne, you wrote a wonderful book that included the characters: Phileas Fogg and Passepartout." Rebecca looked upset. "Why wasn't I in the book?" Rebecca addressed this question to Jules who, of course, had no idea what was going on. Rebecca looked totally put out.   
"Oh, well, I'm sorry , but you're not in the story. That could be for many reasons..." Anna thought it best not to say any more. Passepartout saved the day by holding up the Polaroid and asking, "these are your children?" Anna smiled and looked at the picture with fond memories.   
"No, Passepartout. That was my class at school. I always refer to them as my children." Again she winked at him and he blushed profusely. This little gesture was not missed by the other three.  
"Um, Passepartout perhaps you should show the young lady to her room. We shall take this matter up again in the morning." Jules looked upset. He was anxious to discuss the future. There was no doubt in his mind that she was telling the truth.   
Meanwhile, in the English countryside under the cover of darkness, a lone figure materialized out of thin air, He immediately headed in the direction of town. He was not impressed by the sights, he had one purpose only: to get the necklace. He went into the Gatehouse Pub. It only took a few minutes to find out that Jules Verne was staying with Phileas Fogg at No. 7 Saville Road, Burlington Gardens. He had come across Anna's books on Jules Verne and knew that she would come here. He headed straight there not wanting to lose the darkness. He spied the large Brownstone and went around to where he thought the bedrooms were located. It took him a couple of minutes to find the right room. He came very close to barging in on Rebecca.  
As Passepartout led her to the room, Anna began talking about the book that Jules would one day write. She realized that she was rambling as he opened the door. She invited him in to sit down. Passepartout realized that this was a bit unusual for him to be sitting in a woman's room, but he was curious.  
"You were always my favorite." He looked at her and it was obvious that he did not understand.  
"Que?"  
"In the book that Jules will write. You were my favorite. You were so heroic - doing the impossible. I really liked you." She hesitated on the word 'like' because she wanted to substitute a different word.  
"Well, I must get back. If you need anything, please, let me know." He realized the double-entendre after it was too late and simply turned to leave. Anna gave a little giggle before she closed the door. Passepartout thought it was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.  
Anna prepared for bed again thinking about her surroundings. She couldn't believe that she was actually here. She began unpacking her nightgown and remembered the looks on the three men's faces as she did so. She giggled again. She eyed the nightgown critically. It was obviously a nightgown from the 20th century. She had no idea what kind of gowns women from the 19th century had worn.  
In the middle of the night, Anna started having a strange dream. Well, nightmare really. She was moving in slow motion as if she were in water. There was a man and he was struggling with her. He was after something, but he couldn't get it - it was trapped. They continued struggling and Anna knocked something out of his hand which fell to the floor. The attacker seemed disoriented and again tried to get the object. It was then that she felt the scream tear itself from her throat. The attacker then fled through the open window. It was then that she realized that she was half awake and half asleep. Passepartout was calling her name, and she tried desperately to answer, but her breath was cut off. Before she realized it, Passepartout was with her and his arms surrounded her.  
By this time, everyone else was in the room trying to figure out what had happened. It took Anna a minute to see that it was Passepartout that was holding her and not the attacker. Because of this, she fought him.  
"Please, Mademoiselle Anna, it's alright." Finally, her eyes focused on his and he could read the terror there. She held him close for comfort.  
"What happened, Miss Cassidy?"  
She was gasping for air and could not speak. Passepartout remembered the device in the pouch that she had showed them and retrieved it and handed the device to her. She was glad that she had showed them the inhaler. She took the mandatory two puffs, and almost immediately her breathing returned to normal.  
I woke up and there he was grabbing my neck as if he were looking for something..." Her voice trailed off as she raised her necklace. They could see the look of panic come back over her face when she realized that the attacker was after her necklace.   
"I will stay and protect you. You don't have to worry." It was exactly the chivalrous act Passepartout would suggest. Fogg started to protest, but he could see the calming effect that Passepartout was having on her, so he relented.   
"Well, if there are no objections...."She simply smiled and shook her head.  
As Passepartout was helping her back into bed, he couldn't help noticing that her beautiful hair was now down. It was dark and wavy and he felt the urge to touch it. Next his eyes moved to her gown. Obviously from her time period where it was acceptable for a young woman to show bare arms. But for Passepartout, it was agony.   
"Mon Dieu." he muttered as he tried to regain his composure.  
The others had left by now, and the were alone.  
"What are you thinking about? " His eyes locked onto hers.   
"You are so beautiful." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. But, suddenly he was not afraid that he had said it, because Anna just looked at him and smiled. Anna reached out and touched Passepartout's face and then kissed him lightly on the lips   
Passepartout didn't know what to do. There was a certain way that he was supposed to act because he was a manservant, but there was a certain way he felt because he was a man. He touched her hair and thought that he was in heaven. He kissed her lips, lightly at first and then more fervently. He couldn't stop but, he had to stop.  
"I have to stop, its not right. I can't...please."  
Now it was her turn to calm him down.  
"It's okay...just hold me."  
And he did.  
Robert Cassidy stepped out of the mist of the heath. He was sweating - he had almost been caught. He heard a sound and by instinct felt in his pocket. The Tazer was gone. He must have dropped it in Anna's bedroom. Blast! She would know that he was there now. Oh well, just another complication in an already bungled affair. He would have to be careful and he would need more help. There seemed to be a lot of seedy characters at the Gatehouse Pub, so he thought that he might return there to see what he could stir up.  
As he walked toward the Pub, he could hear the merriment inside. IT seemed to be a rather popular place. He went inside and remembered the barkeep from earlier. The barkeep greeted him as came in.   
"What'll you have, guvnor?" the barkeep asked as he vigorously wiped a glass.   
"Give me your best ale and a little information." Robert placed coins on the bar that would pay for the ale three times over. The barkeep remembered that Robert wanted information earlier as well. HE didn't look like a Bow Street Runner, so the barkeep felt safe in helping him.  
"What sort of information might you be needing?"  
Robert told him of an item that he was trying to retrieve from a certain party and that he might need help because the item was too well guarded. The barkeep nodded. HE had heard similar stories before and knew exactly where to send the man.  
"Go to this address and look for Neville Lester. He'll be able to help you." Robert downed the rest of the drink, placed another coin on the counter, and left. He had learned when dealing with these people to speak little and act as if you know what you're doing. But really, he was shaking inside. HE went directly to the address given to him. The sooner he got this over, the better.   
"So, tell us , MR. Cassidy, Tell us all about the device." Neville Lester was listening intently as Robert explained the necklace's history.  
"So, what you're saying is that the necklace is the key to time travel." Robert noticed how slimy this guy was. HE didn't like having to deal with a guy like this, but he had to get that necklace. HE remembered back when Anna had disappeared right before his eyes. He had panicked, at first, thinking that there had been an unfortunate accident, but then he saw his father's notes sitting on the counter. Because he was not the scientist that his father wanted him to be, he had to go to someone else to help make sense of the notes. HE was told that they could make a necklace similar to Anna's that would be drawn or attracted to Anna's like a magnet. This way, he could follow Anna by stepping through the portal or by waiting for the necklace to draw him to her. Anna had retrieved her father's notes in their last adventure. What Robert didn't count on was the evil of the man he was dealing with.  
"Auguste, please take care of Mr. Cassidy." It was obvious what was to happen to Robert. He was no longer needed. Robert begged for his life as he was led away.   
"Now, find the girl and find the necklace."  
The next day as Passepartout served them breakfast, they tried to figure out who was after Anna.  
"I found this in my room this morning. Its a Tazer. It emits an electric shock that immobilizes someone for a short period of time." She passed it around for them to see.  
"I think that it belongs to Robert, my brother. I think that he was the one that tried to get the necklace."  
Rebecca eyed her suspiciously. Anna noticed, but thought that Rebecca was still upset about being left out of Jules' book. But, in reality, Rebecca was wondering something else. She had spoken to Phileas, alone, earlier.  
"I have contacted my superiors to ask about her. I don't believe her story, but I don't know why she's here. She's hoodwinked poor Passepartout. She's up to something."  
Phileas agree that there was something going on between Anna and Passepartout.  
"A certain attraction" was the way he had put it, but he seemed to think that it was genuine.  
"I am more concerned about how Passepartout will feel when she goes back to her time. " Rebecca raised her eyebrow. Phileas expressing concern for someone.....  
"Well, if he's mooning over some girl, I won't get my coffee on time." Rebecca went to await word from her colleagues while Phileas said that he would speak to Anna alone, later.  
While Phileas and Rebecca were having their conversation, this left Verne to discuss the future with Anna.  
"So in your time, where are some of the places men like to explore?" Anna had to be careful about what she told him. She tried to think about his books as she answered his questions. After all, maybe that's where he got his ideas from.  
"Well, we sent men into space and actually had them land on the moon. We don't live in space just yet, but..." She decided not to go on and tell him what she witnessed in her future.  
"They also explore under the oceans, but we don't live there either."  
Verne was writing this down vigorously.   
"How.....How do they breathe under the ocean." She tried to remember all she knew about the history of SCUBA gear and tried to get her time periods straight.  
"Well, they wear a suit. A durable suit that's impervious to punctures. It has weighted-down boots to keep the person on the ocean floor. They kept air in a pack on their backs and breathed it in through a mask and tubes." She could see that Verne was excitedly drawing what she was describing and writing notes on the side. At the same time, she was aware that Passepartout was scurrying in and out throwing fertive glances in their direction.  
"Why, he's jealously." She thought to herself. He could have cleared away the dishes a long time ago, but he kept coming in getting one item at a time.  
"Anna, the pressure? How did they withstand the pressure?" She had to think. "I'm not sure. The suit was very sturdy to keep it from being crushed , but it also protected the lungs. Oh, if you come up to the surface too quickly, you'll get what's called The Bends. It could cause death."  
Verne went off into his own little world using the information she had provided him. She felt like the 'interview' was over, so she went into the kitchen to find Passepartout.  
"Are you and Monsieur Verne finished?" This was said in a rather snippet way, but Anna found it amusing.   
"Are you jealous, Passepartout?" He was, but he wasn't. Deep down he knew that nothing was going on. He stopped and looked at her and then he knew that he wasn't really jealous.  
"No, I guess I'm not." By now they were standing very close together. He took her face into his hands and began kissing her thoroughly.  
"Excuse me." Phileas stood in the doorway looking rather embarrassed.  
"Miss Cassidy, I'd like to see you please. Alone." Passepartout started to protest, but Anna placed he finger on his mouth to quiet. This gesture shook him to his soul.  
"It's okay." She assured him.  
As she followed Phileas into the study, she wondered why he wanted to talk to her. She was still wondering when he began to speak.  
"I want to talk to you about Passepartout."   
"O -kay." she hesitated.  
"Passepartout is a very passionate and vulnerable man. In other words, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Even though he is merely my servant, I don't want to see him hurt." She snickered at the 'only my servant' part.   
"I would never hurt Passepartout." She said matter-of-factly.  
"Are you planning on returning to your own time period?" She had tried not to think about going back. Tears sprang into her eyes. She was not a crying person - normally. Phileas suddenly knew what he had only been guessing. They were truly in love with other.  
"I don't know yet. I've been trying not to think about it. I'm sure you've read my father's notes and what it says about the necklace pulling you back to your time." Phileas nodded.  
"Well, I think you at least need to talk to Passepartout. He's already talking about marriage."  
She knew his feelings were deep for her, but she had no idea of the extent.  
"I take it the feelings are returned?" She looked up.  
"I've loved Passepartout ever since I first read about him in Mr. Verne's novel. OF course, the feelings are returned."  
She found him in the kitchen planning the evening meal. Fogg was always complaining that Passepartout's tastes were too exotic. She laughed inwardly at this. Tonight he was preparing an Indian meal with couscous, saffron and rice. Lots and lots of curry would be on hand. HE was singing. It sounded like a 19th century love song. Anna approached him and kissed him on the cheek.  
"Oh hello. I didn't hear you come in." He kissed her back, solidly on the lips. Passepartout was no longer afraid to show his affection to her.  
"I need to talk to you." He didn't like the sound of that. She looked too serious. HE wiped his hands on his apron and guided her over to the kitchen table.  
"Phileas spoke with me. he wanted to know what my intentions were." She knew this to be an old-fashioned term the father of the girl usually asked her beau.  
Passepartout understood immediately.  
"He is concerned about me?" She smiled. It was a wonderful thing for a master to be concerned about his servant.  
"I told him that I would never intentionally hurt you." She had chickened out and added the word 'intentionally'. Passepartout's smile faded.  
"But you do plan to un- intentionally hurt me?" She looked away. She couldn't bear to see the pain in his eyes. She rose and went to the window to avoid his eyes.  
"You had to know that this time would come - when I would have to go back."  
He had come up behind her and she was grateful that he could not see her eyes.  
"I - I was not thinking. I was busy - falling in love."  
Hearing this, Anna could bear it no longer. She turned with tears in her eyes. "I cannot leave you." She took off the necklace and laid it on the counter.  
"The necklace will be pulled back to the 21st century - without me."  
By this time, Passepartout was shaking with anticipation.  
"Will you marry me?" Again Passepartout blurted out what he was thinking.  
"Well, duh! Why else would I stay?" Of course Passepartout had not understood what duh meant, or what language she was speaking, but from what he could tell, she had said 'yes'.  
"Passepartout, I think that Miss Cassidy needs some clothing from our time period." There was a slight smirk on Phileas' face when he said this.  
"I think Phileas finds my clothes a bit - distracting." Passepartout's cheeks colored when she said this.  
It was a fun afternoon. They laughed and Passepartout showed her the sights of London. He took her to lunch at a little tea room that was exactly as she pictured it would be.  
"Oh Passepartout, I am so happy." She said as she hugged his arm. The people at the other tables smiled at them and were saying such things as, "Oh isn't that sweet." Passepartout was not as embarrassed this time as he was before. He was becoming more comfortable with his love for her.  
Rebecca, who still was not convinced that Anna was who she said she was, had received word from her superior. They had never heard of Anna Cassidy in any of their foreign bureaus. They had heard of the death of Robert Cassidy at the hands of the notorious Neville Lester.  
"You're telling me that Neville Lester just let this man walk in and he believed everything he said, no questions?"   
"It seems our friend Mr. Cassidy had some very sensitive information that he used as proof that he was from another time. Lester believed him, no questions. As for the girl, I don't see why you shouldn't believe her."  
Rebecca didn't want to believe her and she didn't know why. She told herself that it was because the time travel thing was so unbelievable, but it was more than that. She made a mental note to talk to Phileas when she returned.  
As it turned out, she didn't have to talk to Phileas. She happened upon an exchange between Anna and Passepartout when they returned from their trip into town.  
"I would do anything for you." Passepartout was saying. The look of surprise was evident on Anna's face. Yes, he had said that he wanted to marry her, but she had not been sure that he really loved her. The tears sprang to her eyes before she could catch them. "Isn't it funny. I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I just met you a couple of days ago." It was his turn to have tears come into his eyes. Rebecca could hardly stand the mushiness, at least that is what she told herself. "There's no way she could fake that." she said to herself.  
They were kissing now. It was a very tender kiss that turned passionate. Rebecca had never seen Passepartout kiss anyone. Maybe she was a bit jealous. It was as if he had a rare treasure that he was not willing to share with anyone and suddenly he was giving that treasure to this girl. It was then that Rebecca changed her mind about Anna.  
Suddenly, there was a commotion in another part of the house. Several men that looked like dockworkers burst into the house. Phileas, Jules and Rebecca were trying to fight them off. Finally, several of them burst through the kitchen door. What happened next happened so quickly. Passepartout immediately reached for the necklace that Anna had left lying on the counter. One of the men aimed his gun at Passepartout when he saw Passepartout reach for the necklace. When the ma n fired, Anna remembered her days as a soccer goalie and dove in front of Passepartout.  
"Nooooo," yelled Passepartout when he saw what Anna was doing.  
Phileas, Jules, and Rebecca having defeated their foes, came running into the kitchen. They quickly dispatched of the two men in the kitchen. As things began to slow down, Phileas, Jules and Rebecca saw Passepartout holding Anna on the floor. Anna was bleeding profusely. Passepartout was crying and rocking her slowly.   
"Passepartout...." she was very weak now and could barely speak.  
"Please, remember..." She kept repeating this until she was sure that he was listening.  
"Remember...I love you." These final words were left hanging in the air and he knew that she was gone.  
It had taken both Jules and Phileas to pry Passepartout away from Anna. Even in death, he didn't want to let go.   
When the women came to dress the body for burial, they found the necklace that Passepartout had dropped and forgotten. The women, thinking that it was Anna's, put the necklace around her neck. She was laid out for viewing as was the custom.  
Of course, the only ones at the funeral were Passepartout, Jules, Rebecca and Phileas. Passepartout had cried so much, he seemed to be an empty shell now. As they sat quietly, each with their own memory of the strange girl from the future, there was a bright flash and she was gone.  
Jules discovered later from reading Anna's father's notes about the elasticity of the necklace. It must have reached its total elasticity and snapped her back to her time, they figured.   
"There is a theory he has here about dying in another time. He seems to think that if the subject is brought back to their time , they will be alive." Passepartout's ears perked up when he heard this.  
"Now don't go getting your hopes up Passepartout. It also says that the subject can never come back to the time period in which they died."   
  
**********************************************************************  
Anna walked out of the second portal in her father's lab. She was alive! The last thing that she remembered was being held in Passepartout's arms as she lie bleeding to death. Passepartout...she would never see him again. She could not go back there. She would be dead there. She had also left her bag and her father's notes. Phileas would keep those things safe.  
************************************************************************  
It had been two months and Anna was still not over Passepartout. She would see a flower or smell a certain spice - ah, curry - and suddenly she was back there with him. He must have been devastated. She couldn't work. She couldn't do anything. She needed closure, so she decided to take a trip to England. She also decided that she would research Phileas and Passepartout and maybe write a book.  
When she arrived in London, she strolled through what had been the London marketplace she remembered so well. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered. She went directly to number 7 Saville Road in Burlington Gardens. The city had made it a historical site, so it was still there. She stood in front and took pictures as she wept silently.  
"Handkerchief, mademoiselle." She took the handkerchief without a glance and then stopped.  
"Mademoiselle?" She turned and there, as if by magic, stood Passepartout. In the background she saw Jules, Phileas, Rebecca, and a gentleman she didn't know.  
Passepartout held her as if he would never let go. They were both crying now. She could barely hear Phileas say, "Good job, H.G. Good job!"  
were both crying now. She could barely hear Phileas say, "Good job, H.G. Good job!"  
  



End file.
